Gun adapted preferably for use in submarine boats.



'K. VULLER. GUN ADAPTBD PREPERABLY. FOR USE IN SUBMAEINEBOATS.

APPLICATION FLLED 00123. 1913.

1,09 5,049. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTDR K, VO'LLER. GUN ADAPTED PREFERABLY FOR USE. IN SUBMARIN'EBOATS.

APPLIUATION nun 001 .3. 1913. v 1 095 049. Patented Apr.28,1914.

2 sums-33mm.

\A/ITNEESE V INJENTUK 1 ST FF CE,

I KARL vonnnn, on DUSSELDQR-F, GERMANY.

To all rphomit may concern A t known that I, KARL VoLnnn, en-

gineer, a subject of the German .Emperor, I

' residing at 1-2 Scharnhorststrasse, Dusseldot-f, Germany,have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guns AdaptedPreferably for Use in Submarine Boats;

ereby declare the following to be and :I do a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled and usethe same. I

In an application-for patent filed by me n the art to which itappertains to make June 24, 1913, Serial No. 775,504, I showed anddescribed a disappearing-gun especially adapted for use in connectionwith submarine boats, such gun being'capable of beingraised from andlowered into a casing 4 the cover of which is raised and loweredconcurrently with the gun; According to the particular form of theinvention claimed in said application, the cover of the casing wascapable of recoiling with the gun barrel, and in consequence therecoiling mass. was considerably increased, thereby enabling the use ofacomparatively'large bore. In thefpresent instance the cover of thecasing is not designed to recoil with the barrel, but

on the other hand is utilized to form a counterweight, that is to say,the cover is capable of being moved relatively to the gun barrel tocounterbalance; the forward end thereof. In elevating the gun the-centerof gravity is rocked around the axis of the t-runni ons, and I make thecover adjustable in such a manner that it can be shifted to maintain theequilibrium of the system.

Such shifting of the cover can be performed by hand, and for thatpurpose index marks may be provided to indicate the required length ofthe adjustment in every case. But my invention also comprises means forshifting the cover automatically as the barrel is elevated as by meansof a cam. By means of locking mechanism the cover can be fixed in thedesired position.

In cases in which the position of the trunnions is so chosen thattheiraxis passes through the center of gravity of the rocking system, theweight of the forward, part of.

the gun may be counterbalanced once and for all by the cover withoutproviding means for shifting the latter.

,If it is preferred to utilize the cover as a.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

GUISI' ADAPTED 'PREFERABLY FOR USE IN SUBMARINE BOATS.

shield against projectilesjiti a prof edwith steelarmor. 7 I In theaccompanying draw g :Figui 1s a sectional elevation illustratingbodiment of the invention, ,the igun zbeing shownin its loweredposition-ggandj Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing thefgundnlanelevated position. Fig. .3ishowsa slightmodification. I Referring tothedrawingsa, designates the deck of a. submarine boatgi by uprights forsupporting a casing 011 cliamberaa 'eapm ble of receiving andin'closing;;the.;,gun, said. casing depending from the deck. The-gunbarrel (Z is capable of re'coiling, according to known means, in acradle h which is supported on the upper end of a vertically mov-- ableplunger f by means of trunnions 6, said plunger being fitted in acylinder 9 and PatentedA1)r.2S,'191-1. Appliationfiled October 3,1913.ScrialNo.793 .121. J

adapted to be operated by water pressure so that by reciprocating theplunger the gun may be raised into and lowered out of firing position.Any suitable means may, however, be employed for effecting the raisingand lowering of the gun. The plunger f may also serve as a pivot toswing the gun horizontally.

Thecover c for casing (1 instead of being attached directly to the gunbarrel after the manner disclosed in mybefore noted application forpatent, is connected to cradle h by means of links 2'. Rigidly affixedto the cradle are locking means 7r by which the cover may be locked indifferent positions relatively to the barrel.

When the gun is lowered, as shown in Fig. 1', the cover is so locatedwith relation to the gun that its weight does not counterbalance theforward part of the gun barrel, but by swinging the cover backward, whenit and the gun are raised, and locking it in the desired position bymeans of the locking variously adjusting the cover these variations ofthe couple can be equalized.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the cover is automatically shifted by aslotted cam member of'the gun bearing and a removable pin m mounted onthe rear link i. The cam slot is so shaped that in elevating the gun thecover is shifted in accordance with the varia tions of the center ofgravity, thus balancing the, Weight in all instances.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a gun adapted for use 1n submarine boats, acasing for said,

gun, a corer for said casing, means connectlng said cm er to the gun,the We ght of said eoverwhen the gun 1s 1n flung-position serving-tocounterbalancethe forward end of the gun barrel, and means for raisingand lower- ,lng the gun and cover.-

9. :In combination with a gun adapted for use 1n submarine boats, acasing tor, said gun, a cover for said casing, means adjustablyconnecting said cover to the gun, the

Weight of said cover when the gun is in firing'position serving tocounterbalance the forward end of the gun barrel, and means for raisingand lowering the gun and cover.

mentioned means, and means for raisingland lowering the gun andcoi'er.

I In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscrib- KARL V O L LER ing' witnesses.

Witnesses BER'IICE B. Busssn, HULDA SCHRZiDER.

